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HACU IES Abroad Scholarship

Open to students who are currently attending a Hispanic-Serving Institution that is a member of Hispanic Association of Colleges & Universities (HACU).

Amount:

Summer: Up to $2500. Semester: Up to $5,000.

Eligibility:

Must be a US citizen or permanent resident.

Apply to/ accepted to and enroll in a summer, semester or academic year IES Abroad program. (January Term programs are not eligible)

Possess a mimimum cumulative GPA of 3.3 (out of 4.0) required

Demonstrate financial need

Priority given to first generation college students and/or Federal Pell Grant recipients.

Return Requirement: If awarded one of these scholarships, at the conclusion of the IES Abroad program you agree to submit a 1-page statement about your experience abroad, including how it has affected you personally, professionally, and academically and how this scholarship supported your endeavors. Once submitted, this statement becomes property of IES Abroad and excerpts may be used in any/all IES Abroad electronic and printed publications. Additional details and instructions will be emailed to you after your program ends.

Transcript - one (1) additional college transcript (in addition to the one submitted with the IES Abroad Application). Clear and legible photocopies are accepted via upload or mail, but NO fax copies will be accepted.

Faculty Letter of Recommendation from a professor who has commented on your academic performance.

Academic Essay - Write a response to the following question and statement:

Ellen Ochoa is an award-winning researcher and engineer whose honors include the Hispanic Engineer Albert Baez Award for Outstanding Technical Contribution to Humanity (1995), the Hispanic Heritage Leadership Award (1995), and the Women in Aerospace Outstanding Achievement Award (1997). She is also the first female Hispanic American astronaut.

Although she faced obstacles in her youth, she believed that her education provided her with the tools she needed to succeed, declaring that her "opportunities were a result of having a good educational background" because "education is what allows you to stand out." To her, education gives a person the tools needed to succeed. Indeed, when asked about being the first of a particular group, she stressed the commonalities more than differences: 'What everyone in the astronaut corps shares in common is not gender or ethnic background, but motivation, perseverance, and desire - the desire to participate in a voyage of discovery.

Read the selection carefully and then write a one to two page essay in which you describe how your education thus far has led you on a "voyage of discovery" and how you think participating in a study abroad program will further aid you in this voyage.